Into the Light
by Kartos
Summary: Lotor manages to gain access to the interplanetary communication system and forum for the Galaxy Alliance. How will a drule in love so used to strong-arming everything to get what he wants handle the possibility of finding himself in his beloved's good graces without her knowing... if he just learns to control himself?
1. A Spark

Lotor sat in his personal chambers, in the innermost one, cross-legged on his expansive bed. He held a Garrison datapad, completely unlocked, with all its inner most secrets open to him.

There had been a spy on a merchant ship that he'd captured. The human held top secret Doom intell, and was on his way out of their airspace. After Lotor forced him to unlock the data pad, he sent the man's head to continue on his journey back to his commanders, and the rest of his body had been tossed out the airlock.

The prince had briefly considered what Allura would think before he had sliced the man's head off. Surely she would understand protecting his home meant a _spy_ couldn't live? Sometimes he couldn't grasp how her thought process worked. Did she forget she was at war, on occasion, with all her excess compassion? That compassion she directed at everyone but him...

Shaking his head to clear it, he tried to focus on the myriad of colorful icons all over the screen on the device. This was a very high tech piece of technology. It took him a while to figure out to translate some of the titles of the things he could see. When it flashed it was low on power, he had to rifle through the dead man's belongings to find a portable charger. He would need to have someone figure out a way to charge that itself, later.

For now, he let it repower, cord draping across his bed. He clicked a little picture, and it sprang to life. A logo that he'd seen used for the Galaxy Alliance popped up, and then a whole slew of small text and images. It was overwhelming.

Hours later, the prince had figured out what most of it was… a communication device for news and connections. There were event pages for whole planets, progress articles on the warfront with the Drules, discussion bulletins, translation services, import and export services, and so many other things that it made his head spin. One brand new article, however, caught his attention; Arus had attained status enough to be allowed to join the political upper ranks of the Alliance, granting them direct access to this network he was seeing. That they had been locked out of something so useful previous was perplexing to him, but maybe it was because their technology was so behind. Maybe they wouldn't have been if his father hadn't decimated their cities years before. He couldn't pretend to understand the way humans thought.

When he clicked the message boards, it demanded he log into an account. Nothing popped up that he could use, so he just decided to make a new one.

He stared at the blank screen for several minutes. He needed a name. One that wouldn't immediately out him as Drule. Everything he thought of was too Drule sounding. Or sounded like he was trying too hard to blend in.

Laying back on his bed, he went over as bland a list of human items and phrases as he could. Not too boring, but not too flashy…

'Sincline' popped into his head as a mishmash of human words. He sat up and typed it in.

_Username unavailable_

_What!?_

He slammed his head back onto the pillow.

'LionTamer'

While it amused him a great deal, that would bring to mind Voltron with his account immediately. It would be too suspicious...

Now his mind kept thinking of things that had to do with Voltron. He started to wonder what Allura would choose if she had joined the service.

He sat up again, his eyes wide. She _would_ have joined. Recently! As the representative of Arus, it would be her position to know and participate. His mind was whirling over the possible names she could have chosen.

'PinkFlower,' 'Princess,' 'BeautifulGoddess'… he realized his own thoughts were muddying the possibilities, she would never use any of that. He would think on it later, he had to focus on his own account first.

Sighing, Lotor stood and went to his bookcase. Reaching for his translation dictionary, he opened random pages, looking around. He sighed again. He had no idea how to be covert about things, it just wasn't his style. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his helmet, and tried to think hard. An idea came into his head, and he flipped the pages to the entry. 'Chiroptera' popped up from the sentences. Some technical human name for bats...

Returning to his bed, he sat down and punched in the name. The screen blinked, and after asking him to make a passcode, the registration went through. He was in. Sub folders popped up, and his hands started to shake at the realization that his father would flip out if he knew they had this kind of access. If he played his cards right, he could easily use this information to take over the entire galaxy… even without his father knowing.

His mind floated back to Allura. She was on here, somewhere. And he could read her words without them being laced with venom directed at him. His stomach fluttered at the thought as he skimmed the discussion topics.

–

Lotor had dodged his father's demands for invasion for days. He claimed to feel ill, so he could have an excuse to lay in bed all day and read everything available to him on this interplanetary server without divulging what he was up to to anyone. Merely being on it made his abilities with the human language improve. If his father wasn't such a jackass he would have realized how important such things were. Maybe he did, in some ways, because Lotor had been instructed in them from a young age, but not to the degree of such hands-on work he was doing right now.

It spurred him into interacting with the users. He _knew_ they had to be important people, many of them had signature banners on their posts and update articles. Those didn't show in private messages, and he had been testing the waters in talking to a few people innocently. He purposefully avoided trying to find Allura, as much as he craved her to direct any attention his way. He wanted his tone and way of speaking to be as much at ease and human-like as he could make it before he sought her out.

Lotor was surprised how easy it was to form basic friendships with them. Was it because it was an assumed safe space? He could only guess that was the case. Without the pretense of being a prince on the brink of invading them, he started to even noticed a shift in his own behavior, one that was more reserved and holding back.

_Calmer. _He started realizing how much calmer he felt. An ache began to form in his very core, making him realize how much he lacked in basic companionship. These mere humans were welcoming and friendly to him. Even with his own father, he couldn't just spend time with him, at least not anymore. Not since he had started "failing" against Voltron.

In a few private messages, these humans he should be at war with were welcoming him to the discussions, and asking many questions... too many, like where he was from. The prince panicked. He hadn't thought this far ahead.

Somehow, Lotor managed to play it off as him being a minor official on some boring planet that had been in the Galaxy Alliance for years. Not a single one of them questioned it, and he allowed himself to relax enough to talk more. One account was particularly enthusiastic, claiming they had also joined not long before, and wanted to make him feel as welcome as they had. Lotor shocked himself into feeling a slight bit of guilt over his duplicity towards them. He quickly quashed that, reminding himself that all these humans should be at his beck and call.

The prince then spent the entire second day chatting with that new friend, Seolyeonhwa. They talked about the planets in the Alliance, the meanings of their usernames, (theirs was a flower that was the first to bloom in spring, through the ice, in some distant language he didn't know), different types of ships, what types of foods were available and where due to planetary seasons, and many, many other things. The prince managed to steer the conversation away from the Drules whenever he could. He was just too worried he would accidentally say something to give himself away. He didn't want this new companionship to be stripped from him. The novel, fresh feelings he had were making him curious about all the things he was missing being drule, and some of it made him start to have thoughts he didn't like… how many companionships had he missed out on by slaughtering any who even slightly opposed or displeased him?

Deep into the night a few days in to his self imposed mission, an older discussion thread popped back to the top that made Lotor's heart skip. It was titled, "Princess Allura of Arus," and was nothing but pictures and words of praise for her. Some candid photos, but mostly official ones he had already seen. The prince scrambled to save them all, but then he forgot how to breathe when he found the latest reply to the post. His friend, Seolyeonhwa, had said mere minutes previously:

"_Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope I can live up to everyone's expectations in both politics and with the use of Voltron._

_Much love,_

_HRH Allura of Arus"_

Lotor's fingers went numb as the device fell from his hands and onto the bedspread between his knees._ He had already been talking to her_, and he hadn't even known it.

The entirety of their conversations ran back through his mind. He over analyzed everything he had said to her, trying to find flaws or anything negative. He sat up straight when he realized he had amused her to the point of laughing over something trivial. People only laughed so genuinely when relaxed.

Closing his eyes, he gripped the blanket on either side of himself and tried to calm his breathing before he made himself pass out. They'd had conversations that only the two of them knew. The princess had been so unguarded with him like this. He'd never had that chance before.

Lotor then realized she must be logged on if she had just replied. With shaking fingers he picked up the device and looked at her icon in his list of new friends. It showed her as active. His mind was a jumbled mess, but he managed to piece together some sort of greeting to her to capture her attention. The markers indicated she began to reply, and he got tunnel vision and nearly hyperventilated again knowing she was typing something out, _for him alone, and without disdain_.

It was a simple greeting, but spurred him on. Struggling for some reply, he grasped at things they had previously touched on, hoping to avoid sounding like those human sycophants in the thread singing her praises.

The thing he typed out seemed stupid… but when she indicated that she was laughing, he could almost hear her musical giggling in his ears. He'd eavesdropped on the pilots before, he_ knew_ what she sounded like in such a moment. His heart felt like it would explode in desire to interact more with her.

He whispered her name out loud in his otherwise silent bedroom, unsure how this was really happening. And then his mood broke. He reread what she had said to him.

"_Would you like to talk on the voice chat? (__〃 __ω __〃__)"_

Lotor wanted nothing more in his life at that moment, but his heart sank with the realization that she would absolutely recognize his voice. He hated himself as he told her he was ill and could not speak over the microphone. She seemed dejected in her response.

"_Perhaps if I merely listen to you?" _he saw himself type and send before his brain could catch up.

Swallowing hard, he was unsure if he should apologize for suggesting it or figure out something else to say. It was so risky. Far too risky. He knew he very much should not do it, but she immediately made a cheerful reply. Lotor cursed himself for not caring enough to learn the arts of deception or acting, to mask his voice. That would be something he would work on in the immediate near future.

His heart fluttered in the pit of his stomach. Lotor was alarmed, but more excited than he could remember ever having been. After picking up the small human sized headset with the device and managing to make it fit moderately okay, he clicked the button on the screen to connect, and it went through.

Her chipper greeting made him freeze.

After a brief moment, she apologized for already forgetting that he had told had her was ill and unable to really speak. Lotor gathered himself, and croaked out a throaty reply, consisting mostly of a short greeting and a groan of acquiescence. She giggled, and his entire body went weightless.

For several minutes, Allura spoke to him in the kindest and friendliest way he had ever heard from her. Slowly, a pang of regret started to seep into him. Everything the prince had ever done in his life was suddenly horribly distasteful. Had he ever done anything she would have approved of? It was doubtful. He became increasingly aware that the second she knew who he really was, her tone would shift, and he would never hear her sweet voice like this again.

Worry filled him as she chattered away. He'd never felt so unsure about what to do, and how to even have a hope any longer. Her sincerity towards him was making him feel as ill as he had claimed to have been.

_"__Do you feel okay? Should I let you rest?"_

Lotor's sense of danger finally overpowered his desire to be the center of her attention, knowing he could misstep at any time and ruin it all. He made a small pathetic groaning noise, and whispered a please and an apology.

He could hear her smile as she softly chuckled, followed by a wish of him to feel better and bid of goodnight. He repeated what she said back to her in text as he disconnected the audio.

Tearing the headset off, he tossed it across his bed as he threw himself back into the pillows. He lay staring at the ceiling for a moment before he slammed his fists against the bedspread on either side of himself.

"There is no solution to this!" he yelled out into his empty room.

As his eyes watered in frustration despite his attempts otherwise, he rolled to his side and tried to calm down. Screwing his eyes shut, Lotor grimaced as he forced himself to breath evenly through his clenched teeth. He refused to cry, determined to find some sort of answer that would give him what he wanted. Nothing in his upbringing had ever prepared him to deal with this situation. He knew his father already felt he was weak and pathetic. He also knew what the tyrant would say and do if he even had a hint of what was going on with his son.

He would find a solution… somehow.

–

Lotor woke to the worst possible news. His father demanded his presence in the throne room, and when he arrived, he was informed he was to lead an attack against Arus immediately... or he would be tossed in the Pit of Skulls. The only way he could avoid it all would be to tell the tyrant what he had been up to, and the prince wouldn't divulge _that_ secret for anything a Drule could possibly tempt him with. So he was off to face Princess Allura... in the field battle.

"Surrender and you'll be spared!"

Lotor was merely going through the motions as he commanded his fleet from his own little craft. The pilots responded to him with something that was so typical of what they always said that he didn't even process it. All he could focus on was Allura. Her demeanor was so changed from how she had spoken to him over the voice chat a mere half day before when she didn't even know it was him. His heart ached.

The robeast the prince had come with was some generic thing… or so he thought. He'd barely paid it any mind, but when it managed to rip Voltron out of it's combination and back into the Lions, Lotor woke from his stupor. It had thrown the mecha onto it's back, the Lions sent tumbling. It was focusing on the right side, and Lotor's eyes blew wide when it flung Blue Lion away from the others and into a nearby cliffiside. The Lions had often taken hits before, but this time was different. The communication link was completely open. He heard Allura scream in terror as there was a bone crunching sound before she was silenced.

In that moment, Lotor forgot where he was and what he was sent there for. Without thought, he yelled her name over the open line as he dove his ship down after her. A streak of yellow was the only thing that stopped him as the Yellow Lion wrapped its jaws around the front of his fuselage. His console screeched at him with alarms as he was tossed around before being thrown in the opposite direction.

–

Lotor regained consciousness to his beeping ship just in time to watch Voltron run the robeast through with that giant sword. He had no idea how they had overcome it. The trickle of blood down his forehead told him he didn't care enough to find out right away. His father would be sure he heard about every detail of his failure through his pounding headache.

Eavesdropping on the pilots still, the weight lifted from the prince's shoulders as Allura spoke into the communication line. She was alive.

The small smile died on Lotor's lips as Voltron turned to advance on him. His boosters were silent no matter what he did, and he started to panic again. He couldn't be sure that damned captain wouldn't run him through just as fast as the robeast. Lotor had inadvertently caused Allura to be harmed, the man had every right as her soldier and guard to make him pay.

Relief flooded him again as his engines kicked in, and he slammed the ship into the air. The mecha stopped moving as it was clear the prince wasn't going to be an easy target, and he watched them watch him escape from their range. Lotor took a shaky breath, his narrow escape fading out of his consciousness as he wondered how Allura fared.

–

"_It wasn't the first time I was knocked unconscious in Blue Lion! (__;;)_

_It is a shame I hurt my arm. As much as they didn't want to admit it, I heard Prince Lotor was even concerned for me. He faced off with Hunk in Yellow Lion trying to get close! Keith said he seemed panicked about me. I would be almost touched if he wasn't a drule. (__〃∀〃__) "_

It didn't matter how many times she told him she was okay, he felt like she was playing off the gravity of it. He had to see her. He had to make sure she was really okay.

"Perhaps he was as concerned as I am. As it happens, I am in your sector. I could take some time to stop by Arus to check on you?"

Her response was cheery, and it was only after they confirmed a time very, very soon, did Lotor realize what a completely idiotic idea it was. He couldn't hide behind the screen on Arus. He would have to only observe, disappointing her with the lack of actually meeting, but confirming she was okay with his own eyes. He hoped it would work out… it had to.


	2. The Blaze

"Chiroptera? Are you here?"

Lotor's anxiety spiked at the sight of her. She had rounded the corner to the entrance of the crumbling building, looking around unsure. He had made sure it was dark enough here to hide him. The prince felt ashamed, but he couldn't face her. He just wanted to be sure she was okay… but she was not. Allura's arm was in a sling, and he could see a bandage on her jawline.

"I am," he said, trying to change the tone and sound of his voice as best as he could. He had practiced the entire way here.

"Where are you hiding? Come now, we are meeting face to face, won't you show yourself?"

He could hear her anxiety, and he hoped he could distract her.

"Ah, I just wanted to see you were okay, that's all. I'm still ill, wouldn't want you to catch it. I'm glad your injuries aren't worse." He felt horrible. The guilt was eating him away inside, which only confused his normal sensibilities.

"Thank you. I suppose they could be worse... but as it stands, I could barely get Blue Lion into the air like this, let alone fight. We are at an extreme disadvantage. With that fleet looming, we can't send for Sven. We're down a Lion, we can't form Voltron. Pidge has already taken Blue Lion out a few times to make it look like I'm fine to fool the Drules after they saw me fall."

He swallowed hard. With this information, he could take Arus and end the entire campaign. He could force her to be his. This was the advantage they had always been after… and that thought made him feel nauseous.

"Then you should go back as soon as possible, you wouldn't want anyone else to see you injured."

"Oh. I suppose I should have thought of that." She laughed softly. "So far you're the only one outside the castle who knows now, so I am sure it will be fine. As long as Prince Lotor doesn't show up like he tends to do. I would hate to try and play this off or deal with his usual theatrics."

He could feel himself lightly shake and he balled his hands into fists to try and stay calm. She would be furious if she ever found out who he really was, if that's how she talked about him. His heart began to ache worse than his stomach.

"Though," she said continuing, "I should probably be more worried about him attacking. He has been coming down on us harder lately, it's a wonder he can even claim his feelings for me if he acts as he does in the skies of Arus."

Lotor could barely hear her words over the blood pounding in his ears. He tried to focus. Maybe he could turn her opinion of him?

"P-perhaps he has no other choice."

"What do you mean?"

"Prince Lotor commands the fleets of Doom, does he not?"

"He does."

"He has declared his passionate love for you, yet he must obey his father. What options does that leave for him?"

Lotor waited for a second to give her time to think. Allura was clearly mulling this over with her brows pinched in deep thought as she stared at the ground. He watched as she started to wring her hands in frustration.

"I don't know, but surely he could do something! He can't expect me to believe his feeling are true if he does not stand up for me and constantly hurts both my friends and myself." She moved her slinged arm to gesture, and winced in pain as result.

"What would you do, if you had such a father, Princess?"

Too late Lotor realized he had let his voice slip back towards it's natural pitch in his irritation. He watched as she searched to find him in the darkness of the alcove. When she didn't focus on him, she decided just to answer.

"I would try and reason with him, but... I guess... I do see your point, there _is_ no reasoning with a monster like Zarkon." She sighed and closed her eyes as her voice went soft and low. "I don't even know if Lotor realizes his father killed mine. Even if I _did_ like him, which I would not say I do, there's many reasons for me to avoid him. He has done nothing to tempt me to overcome any of that. I don't even want to."

Lotor's chest felt tight, the aching from before growing in severity. She truly did despise him. His eyes were trying to water in rejection and he longed to be far from here, alone in his chambers.

"You fully admit that... he has no hope to win your love and gain your acceptance," he said with a clear bitterness. "If you do not care for his feelings, why bring them up? Why concern yourself with his lack of options towards you?"

Her eyes narrowed more, and he was sure she figured out where he was standing in the darkness as her eyes focused on him.

"Who_ are_ you?"

Lotor's heart sank. He knew this was coming, but he had hoped in vain he could somehow avoid it.

"You don't want to know that, Princess Allura."

"I do. Or I would not have asked. Show yourself. **Now.**"

He sighed. Closing his eyes, he kept them shut and bit the inside of his lower lip. Taking a fortifying breath, Lotor stepped out from under the alcove and into the light. He knew the second she recognized him by the gasp she made. He took another slow, drawn out breath before he opened his eyes to focus on her.

Allura was staring at him. She held her free hand over her mouth and nose, her eyes were blown wide, and one leg bent with the half step she had taken back. He only kept her gaze for a second before he looked away.

"How... how long? Are you the friend I made on the bulletin?" she managed to whisper behind her hand.

"Yes, it has been me the entire time," he managed to murmur, his voice betraying him as it slightly cracked at the end.

The silence lasted for ages. He was memorizing the rocks at his feet without meaning to, shoulders slumped in defeat, as he felt her eyes on him. But she did not flee as he expected.

After what felt like an age, she spoke, voice low and more sure.

"This is a ploy, isn't it?"

He shook his head but did not speak.

"How is this _not_ a ploy? That is all you do! I am sure any minute your soldiers will-"

His anger, hurt, and humiliation got the better of him, interrupting her and making her take another step back as he looked up and growled out a response.

"If this was planned like you assume then you would already be tied up at my feet in my cruiser on the way back to Doom. You're injured and defenseless, what could I _possibly_ be waiting for, Allura?"

He watched as she blinked at him a few times in silence, realizing he was right. Closing his eyes again, he sighed for the thousandth time before she spoke, her voice small and unsure.

"Then what is this?"

"I... I wanted to make sure you were really okay. I was concerned for you, but I had no idea you were hurt. It's... it's not my intention to harm you. Or mislead you. I didn't-"

"Yet you _**did**_," she said with bite, and his eyes snapped up to hers. Something in his expression must have cut her to the core, because the princess's eyebrows turned up and she started to blink away forming tears.

"I apologize, for everything," Lotor whispered and after a mere moment's hesitation, moved past her to stalk away.

She yelled something at him, but he didn't hear. The blood was rushing in his ears and he couldn't focus. _He had broken her arm…_ plus she had made it plain she hated him, that his pursuit was pointless, and now she was crying. He couldn't stand himself. All he wanted was a drink to dull the pain of his life. He was beyond the breaking point. There was no continuing this invasion, at least not by his hand. He didn't care what his father did to him anymore, he was _done_.

His mind started to whirl with hatred for himself, and slipped back into his normal behavior of thinking up half assed pathetic plans to kidnap her and flee the entire quadrant of the galaxy so she would never have to deal with this again. It was all pointless. Somehow he made it back to his little ship. The windshield opened with ease, and he slammed his fist on the button to shut the galaxy out.

Alone, his eyes began to burn. He really had hurt her that badly. And she had ripped out his heart and stomped on it. The childish plans he had been considering melted away as he realized how useless he really was. He could never protect her from his father. He couldn't even protect her from himself.

Lotor leaned forward and buried his face in his arms over the console as he felt hot tears escaping his eyes. He stayed like that for hours, every terrible thing his father and Haggar having said about him to his face repeating itself through his head. Time became meaningless as he sobbed and hated himself further.

–

Lotor numbly stared up at the Arusian sky through the top of his windshield as the sunset turned it brilliant hues of oranges and pinks. He was leaned back in his cockpit, the controls shoved forward, and his feet up on the console. One of his arms was across his chest, the other dangling at his side. He didn't even know how he had the energy to breathe any longer.

He sighed loudly right before a tapping on the windshield made him jump back and stare out.

Lotor's self loathing momentarily ceased as he locked eyes with Allura through the glass. The wily princess had managed to one-handedly climb up the side of his little ship, and perched herself in a way that let her peer in and tap the windshield. She made a gesture in a sign of pleading, her freehand touching her slung one in a small prayer motion. That paired with a soft smile, and he found that he couldn't deny her anything… even after she had declared him unworthy of her and a terrible menace.

Trying to rub his tear stained cheeks dry with the heel of his palms, he pressed the button to disengage the hatch. It slowly lifted.

Smiling brighter at him as it opened, Allura slid herself across the metal of the craft, onto the edge of the cockpit. He blinked up at her, completely and utterly baffled by what was occurring.

"That's better, thank you."

He had no idea what to say. She had _followed and found him_.

"I didn't hear you leave, and there was no indications you had done so by our radar. Perhaps we could... talk a bit?"

He blinked at her in his confusion, and he could tell she was scrutinizing his still wet cheeks.

"I thought pretty hard about what you said, Lotor. You're right, you _are_ stuck in a difficult position, aren't you?"

His mouth went dry. What was she saying?

"What would King Zarkon do if you refused to attack me anymore?"

He looked away from her. "He will throw me in the dungeon for insubordination. Wouldn't be the first time, and if he has his way, that's where I will die."

She gasped, her good hand going to her mouth. The action threw off her balance, and he glanced up at her in time to see her start to pitch forward. He reached over to grab her and hold her steady by her shoulders before she fell awkwardly face first into the cockpit.

Allura's free hand went to the side of the seat, pushing herself up. Her face came very close to his. They stared at one another for a moment, and he watched as her face blossomed into a blush. When her eyebrows knit in some emotion he could not place, he pushed her back to right herself, her previous rejection poisoning the closeness he would otherwise be giddy over. Once she was stable, she swung her feet over the edge, one foot perched on the back of the seat so she would not easily fall again.

Lotor watched her, eyes wide. She was so close to him, mostly in the cockpit. He could just grab her knees and pull her in and fly her off with him home to Doom. He wondered if she knew the danger she was placing herself in, or if that was her point...?

"You're forced to attack the woman you've publicly declared to love... that must be really hard on you."

He felt his eyes tearing up again with a new burst of emotion, and he had to bite the inside of his lip to keep from making a noise.

"This all seems very unbelievable. You are Drule. You have gone from demanding me as your slave, to begging me to marry you, to now… running from me after admitting to being my very secret and very dear new friend. I can't make heads or tails of you any longer. What exactly is this?"

"I don't know," he whispered and looked away from her.

"Tell me, Prince Lotor, what do you have to offer me?"

Allura lightly pushed his shoulder with the toe of her boot, making him look up at her.

"Wh-what I have to offer? I have nothing to offer a woman who hates me."

"If I didn't hate you, what then?

His eyes went wide again, and she tilted her head to demand his answer.

"B-be my queen. Your planet would never be attacked again. I will give you whatever you wish."

"And your father would have Voltron before I was ever a queen on Doom. What do I get out of that? I know how he would run amok in the universe. And I wonder what I would get out of being your bride when you have already attempted to make me your slave? I can't trust you to not do it once you have everything you demand."

She was right, there was no reason to not believe he would just slide back into his old habits. He could feel his eyebrows pinching in consternation. He had no answer to give her.

"Well," she started, "I suppose your actions today and your clear remorse speak volumes. You did do as I asked in revealing yourself when you very much did not wish to, and knowing full well it would lead to very negative consequences for you. Your ruse on the Alliance network was ruined when you gave in to my request."

Pausing, she tilted her head again and narrowed her eyes as she peered at him. "If you come to the castle officially, without attacking, and with a formal declaration of intent for my hand, we can _discuss _terms which will not be easily reneged on by you or your faction."

Lotor's heart leapt. _A chance! _She was giving him a real chance! He had no idea what he could possibly say to his father or what he could bring to her to guarantee the old tyrant wouldn't go back on whatever agreements they made, but he would now be willing to set the capital city of Doom ablaze if she merely asked.

"I... I..."

He struggled to remember how to speak as she giggled, the sound music to his ears and something he had thought was lost to him forever.

"I have rendered you speechless."

She giggled again, and this time slid herself down to stand next to him in the cockpit. Reaching out, she touched his hair, and ran her hand down along to hold the back of his head. He couldn't control himself as his eyes closed involuntarily at her touch, his lips parting and a small sigh escaping his mouth. The prince could feel the warmth from her body from her mere proximity to him, and he longed to reach out and touch her.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," he managed to whisper, and she giggled a third time.

–

Allura's thumb was softly rubbing back and forth on his hair from where she still held the back of his head. His entire mood had shifted, and he was looking up at her with half closed eyes, never wanting this moment to end.

"Is this what you want, Lotor?" she said softly to him, and he felt his entire chest grow warm.

"Yes."

"How will you give me a proposal that matches my needs? Won't King Zarkon object to everything I would suggest for equality in our union?"

Lotor opened his eyes wide as his heart fluttered from her words; _our union._ He grinned up at her.

"I'll just slit his throat."

Allura gasped, and he became a bit worried when her thumb stopped moving.

"Prince Lotor, that's not-"

"Do you not want your father's killer to face Arusian justice?"

"By killing him in turn! Do you even realize what you are suggesting?"

He took in a deep breath.

"I do. I don't think you know how we Drules work, Allura. My handing you the head of the man that has wronged you so completely shows my devotion to you, regardless of my relationship to him."

Her wide eyes pinched and she frowned down at him. "I am not Drule."

"You don't wish for me to show my devotion?"

"Murder is not the answer. Not when... he's your family."

Lotor frowned, matching her expression. "Would your people not execute him for what you perceive as crimes against your planet?"

He watched with fascination as she looked away from him, deep in thought. The prince stayed silent as she looked around blankly, clearly trying to mull over what he said.

Several minutes went by. When she didn't answer him, he leaned up slightly, and twisted to put his hand over hers on the back of his head. The action caught her attention, and she looked back to him.

"I am not human, Allura. But I am a royal prince, and the way to secure the throne when I want it is through bloodshed. How do you think my father gained it himself?"

Her eyes went wide at the revelation.

"Every new life that is born into the universe arrives through blood and screaming. I know even humans are like this. Why would the birth of supreme power be any gentler than the birth of the lowest human slave?"

Lotor rubbed his thumb over her fingers as he silently let her take in what he had said. It was clear she was grappling with his words.

Allura's eyes fluttered to his and away again.

He whispered the name she used on the forums, and she instantly looked back to him. He grinned at her.

"I will stand up for your cause. Let me prove myself to you."

Lotor smirked deviously as he watched the small smile form on her lips.


End file.
